1981 2-door Lincoln Town Car: One Year Only

Actually, that car was produced for two model years.  For 1980, it was the Lincoln Continental Coupé, with a wheelbase of 117.3 inches (2979 mm).  Not to be confused with the 1980 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Coupé whose wheelbase was 114.3 inches (2903 mm).  The 1981 2-door was part of the newly-named Town Car line.  It was called a 2-Door Sedan in some publicity literature, and I've also seen it referred to as Town Coupé.

In that same 1980-81 time frame, Ford Motor Company produced 114.3-inch wheelbase Mercury Marquis 2-door sedans and Ford LTD 2-door sedans on the same wheelbase.  That is the same as the 1980 and 1981 Continental Mark VI 2-door.

The circa-1980 setting had Ford Motor Company producing cars on five different wheelbases, simplified to four wheelbases for 1981.  Given its three car marques (Ford, Mercury, Lincoln), those basic bodies were shared across the line, with a few exceptions.  Ford and Mercury lacked 117.3-inch models, whereas the 114.3-inch wheelbase was Lincoln's shortest.

Lincoln Continental Mark VIs included 2-door models into the 1980s and beyond, on increasing Mark numbers.  Lincoln Town Cars were 4-door sedans from 1982 until the line was dropped after the 2011 model year.  Those 117.3-inch 2-doors did not sell well: 7,177 and 4,935 for 1980 and 1981, respectively.  So management probably decided continuing that style was not economically realistic.  Further, it clarified the Town Car's image as a 4-door sedan only.

Gallery

1980 Ford LTD 2-Door Sedan - car-for-sale photo
This design debuted for the 1979 model year.  The massive B-pillar was for rollover protection required by government regulations.

1980 Lincoln Continental Coupe - car-for-sale photo
The longer-wheelbase Lincoln appeared for the 1980 model year.

1981 Lincoln Town Car 2-Door Sedan - car-for-sale photo
Basically the same design, but given a different model name.  Boxy, plenty overhang, slightly fussy abaft of the B-pillar.  But fairly attractive, aside from those quad headlights.

1982 Lincoln Continental Mark VI Coupe - BaT Auctions photo
Mark VI coupes were produced model years 1980-1983.  Its wheelbase is the same as the Ford's in the first image above.  In 1981, 18,740 were built, compared to only 4,935 2-door Town Cars.  Which probably explains why the latter was dropped for model year 1982.  That oval opera window seems silly.  Also, the opera window fad was nearly over.